Description
For my project, I am focusing on creating a 3D-printed kinetic sculpture with a rotating centerpiece powered by a system of gears. The user will turn a crank or shaft, which transfers motion through interconnected gears to rotate the central structure. To ensure stability and precision, each gear will be mounted to a cork or styrofoam base using pins or tacks through a central hole, allowing the gears to remain stationary while rotating freely. The gears are designed with unique sine-wave edges generated computationally in Grasshopper and Python, and their arrangement will be carefully planned to make the motion visually engaging.
Here’s what I’ve accomplished so far:
- Gear Design: I created sine-wave-inspired gears with distinctive, organic edge profiles, moving away from a traditional gear-like aesthetic. Each gear includes a central hole designed for alignment and support with a pin or tack.
- Lofting and Capping: The sine-wave curves have been lofted into solid forms with smooth vertical edges, creating fully three-dimensional gears.
- Physical Prototype: I 3D printed the first gear prototype to evaluate its design, tolerances, and fit. The prototype closely matches the design objectives, with the edges and central hole functioning as intended, though I may need to slightly reduce the hole size.
Physical Prototype
I designed the sine-wave-based profiles by altering a circle’s radius with a sine function, resulting in flowing, organic shapes that depart from conventional gear aesthetics. The Grasshopper workflow ensured the curves were precisely closed and suitable for lofting into solids with clean vertical edges. A central hole was incorporated into each gear, parametrically defined to allow secure mounting on a cork or styrofoam base with a pin or tack. During testing, the gear edges rotated smoothly, but the central hole was slightly too large and will be refined in future iterations.
Timeline
- Week 1: Research gear ratios; finalize gear design concepts; generate curves; print and test individual gears.
- Week 2: Refine gear interactions; gather necessary materials (cork/styrofoam, pins); prepare final designs.
- Week 3: Print final designs; complete assembly; finalize documentation.
Deliverables
- Prototypes: A few 3D-printed gear components to test tolerances, alignment, and functionality.
- Code and CAD Models: Grasshopper scripts and 3D CAD models of sine-wave-inspired gears, including adjustable parameters for design flexibility.
- Kinetic Sculpture: fully assembled sculpture with interconnected gears mounted on a cork or styrofoam base, driven by a crank to demonstrate smooth motion and a rotating centerpiece.
- Documentation: Images and renders showcasing the design process, prototypes, and final assembled piece in action.